Bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy

This article is about a disease in cattle. For the human disease, see Weaver syndrome.

Bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy (BPDME), also known as weaver syndrome, is a genetic disorder of cattle, characterized by hindlimb weakness and ataxia. It has been observed in male and female Brown Swiss cattle. It is known as 'weaver syndrome' because of the animals' 'weaving' gait while walking.[1] BPDME is a genetic autosomal recessive disorder.[2]

The signs of BPDME are first noticed in cattle aged 5–8 months,[3] and include a weaving gait, along with weakness and lack of voluntary coordination of the muscles of the hind limbs (known as ataxia).[2] Signs progressively worsen, and by 18–36 months of age, the animal is unable to rise.[4] Affected animals are euthanized for welfare reasons.[2]

  1. ^ John D. Baird; Ulla M. Sarmiento; Parvathi K. Basrur (1988). "Bovine Progressive Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy (Weaver Syndrome) in Brown Swiss Cattle in Canada: A Literature Review and Case Report". Canadian Veterinary Journal. 29 (4): 370–377. PMC 1680902. PMID 17423028.
  2. ^ a b c Kunz, E; Rothammer, S; Pausch, H; Schwarzenbacher, H; Seefried, FR; Matiasek, K; Seichter, D; Russ, I; Fries, R; Medugorac, I (18 March 2016). "Confirmation of a non-synonymous SNP in PNPLA8 as a candidate causal mutation for Weaver syndrome in Brown Swiss cattle". Genetics, Selection, Evolution. 48: 21. doi:10.1186/s12711-016-0201-5. PMC 4797220. PMID 26992691.
  3. ^ Lorenz, Michael D.; Coates, Joan R.; Kent, Marc (2011). Handbook of Veterinary Neurology (5th ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier/Saunders. p. 179. ISBN 978-1-4377-0651-2.
  4. ^ Divers, Thomas J.; Peek, Simon F., eds. (2008). "Degenerative myeloencephalopathy of Brown Swiss Cattle". Rebhun's Diseases of Dairy cattle (2nd ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 978-1-4160-3137-6.